Esther Babson

Environmental Studies

Class of 2013

My name is Esther Babson and I’m a junior Environmental Studies major at Dickinson. I’m from Medfield, Massachusetts and absolutely love New England. I’m a member of Phoenix, an all girls community service group and Relay for Life at Dickinson. One of my favorite things to do is bake delicious desserts for my friends and family, or just to procrastinate! I also love to bike and hike especially behind my house where there are hundreds of acres of town forest and trails. I’m so excited to have the opportunity to attend this conference and hear what people there have to say. International cooperation to stop anthropogenic climate change is of vital importance in my opinion and I can’t wait to gain more of an understanding of how other countries and people view the situation at the conference.

Emily Bowie

Environmental Science

Class of 2014

My name is Emily Bowie, I am originally from the state of Maine. I am a sophomore Environmental Science major here at Dickinson. On campus I am involved in EarthNow, SAVES and The “E” . My general focus in environmental science is not policy but rather conservation and awareness raising. Therefore, through participating in the COP17 Mosaic I hope to learn about an area of my study that I know very little about. My big interest is the effect that climate change and other environmental issues have on third world countries.

 

Christine Burns

Environmental Science

Class of 2014

My name is Christine Burns and I am a sophomore Environmental Science major at Dickinson College. I am from Worcester, Pa. I enjoy participating in the Outing Club, the Society Advocating Environment Sustainability (SAVES), Amnesty International, Students Interested in Sustainable Agriculture (SISA), and Eco-Reps. I love hiking, rock climbing, snowboarding, camping and all things outdoors. I believe my passion for the environment stems from my love of the outdoors. I cannot believe that I get the awesome opportunity to go to Durban, South Africa!! I am so excited to spend this whole semester with an amazing group of people who I am already learning so much from. Climate change is such a relevant issue in our world so I cannot wait to be at the Convention among the people who can shape our future. I am super pumped for this adventure.

Elena Capaldi

Environmental Studies

Class of 2014

I am an Environmental Studies major at Dickinson with an Italian minor. I call Pittsburgh, PA home. I am actively involved in several clubs on campus including EarthNow, SAVES, and Italian Club, as well as being a climber and monitor at Dickinson’s rock wall. I am also a member of the schools Outing Club and enjoy being outside hiking and camping as well as traveling and exploring new places! In my free time I enjoy bike riding, cooking, knitting, and avidly collecting t-shirts! Some random facts about me include: my favorite color is orange, my favorite state in the US is Michigan for its gorgeous beaches, and I used to be in a country band.

I hope that this program to South Africa will not only open up my eyes further to global views on climate change negotiations; but will be a culturally-enriching experience where I’ll be able to interact with new people and cultural values. I hope this trip presents opportunities to speak and listen to delegates with vastly different perspectives than my own, and gain a new sense of what it means to be a “global citizen!”

Anna McGinn

Environmental Studies

Class of 2014

My name is Anna McGinn, and I grew up in Peabody, Massachusetts.  I am a sophomore at Dickinson this year majoring in Environmental Studies and possibly minoring in Spanish.  I am ecstatic to be participating in the Africa Mosaic program this semester.  I find environmental policy, NGO work, human rights and how they relate to the environment, and cultures fascinating, so I am thrilled to travel to South Africa to learn about all of these topics.  At Dickinson, I am a member of the Outing Club, Amnesty International, SISA (students interested in sustainable agriculture), SAVES (the Society Advocating Environmental Sustainability), and Eco-Reps.  This past summer I worked at a summer camp in Maine teaching outdoor skills. I am super stoked for this program!

Neil Leary

Director, Center for Sustainability Education

I am co-teaching the Global Climate Change Africa Mosaic with professors Jeff Niemitz and Jeremy Ball. I’ve been working on climate change for 20 years, initially on carbon taxes and permit trading, then on climate change impacts in the US, and more recently on climate change vulnerability and adaptation in developing countries. I’ve been an author of reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), was co-editor of the IPCC 2001 report on climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, and am on the IPCC editorial board for its upcoming 5^th assessment report. I came to Dickinson College in 2008 to direct its new Center for Sustainability Education and help infuse sustainability learning throughout the college curriculum and co-curricular programs.

 

Samuel Parker

Environmental Science

Class of  2012

Sam Parker is a senior at Dickison College.  He is an Environmental Science major with a focus on Renewable Energies and Biofuels.  Sam has been called the “Biodiesel King” of Dickinson for his extensive work and research with the Dickinson College Biodiesel Program, recently being granted the Senior Intern and Manager position. Sam has always taken a very hands-on approach to learning, whether in the biodiesel shop or in the laboratory.  He recently spent a summer at Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro, North Carolina learning how to manage biodiesel plants on a much larger scale.  Sam is part of the Climate Change Mosaic to look at the governance of climate and environmental issues and how they may apply to the biofuels industry.

Samuel Pollan

Environmental Studies

Class of 2014

My name is Sam Pollan and I am a Sophomore Environmental Studies major at Dickinson College. I was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. Some of my interests include fishing, hiking, climbing, and unicycling. Over the summer I traveled to China and Mongolia for a month and visited iron foundries and nomadic families. I also spent time in Breckenridge, Colorado doing vegetation surveys and analyzing data from motion sensor cameras along biking trails. On campus, I am actively involved in the Outing Club as well as the Jive Turkeys Ultimate team. I live in the Dickinson Center for Sustainable Living (aka the Treehouse) where I manage ecological resources. I am very excited to be a part of this Mosaic program and I look forward to exploring this new terrain.

Maggie Rees